TN wrote on 12/28/13 at 10:36:53:



Show me anywhere that White can improve; the Queen is poorly placed on e4 and will have to move at least a third, and, most likely a fourth time. All Black's moves are natural and easy to find requiring no thought to achieve an easy game---a bad practical choice.

What is difficult to see in the maneuver c6/Nb4/Na6/Nac7? What is difficult to see after Kf7/Be6 or that if White captures on e5 why is Bd6 difficult to see or that the discovery on the King is meaningless or that Black's King Rook cannot be kept out of play or that White is playing the middlegame down a piece?

White always is slightly on the poorer side of equality in this opening. The only thing Black has to think about is move order, not where his pieces belong.

Probable play will be 9.Qe4 c6 10.a3 Na6 11.d4 Nac7 12.Bf4 Kf7! (Once Black finds this move his game plays itself) 13.Bxe5 Be6 (obviously) 14.O-O Bd6 (to provoke White's next move) 15.f4 Bxe5! (The discovery is useless because White cannot keep Black's King Rook out of play) 16.fxe5+ Kg8 (White is playing the middlegame a piece down and the only hope of an initiative is really slow e.g. Qf3/Ne4/Bb3/c4) 17.Qf3 (White can't really improve here; if Bxd5 cxd5 18.Qf4 Qe7 19.Qe3 g6 20.Qh6 Qg7 21.Qe3 Qe7---Black can now take the draw with this or go  for more with h6/Kh7/Rhf8) g6 18.Bxd5 (If removing a defender is bad, what's better?) cxd5 19.Ne2 (What else?) Kg7 20.Qg3 (Defending, developing and pinning the g-pawn) Rf8 21.Nf4 Bf5 (Hitting c2) 22.Rf2 Ne6 (Provoking the following combination) 23.Nh5+ Kh8 24.Nf6 Rxf6 25.exf6 Qxf6 26.Re1 Qxd4 27.c3 Qb6 (This pin assures the draw) 28.Qe5+ Kg8 29.Qxd5 Rd8 30.Qe5 Rd2 31.Ree2 Rxe2 32.Qxe2 h5 33.h3 Ng5 & White cannot stop Ne4 forcing White to take the draw by repetition. 34.Qe7 Ne4 35.Qe8+ Kg7 36.Qe7+ Kg8 37.Qe8+ Kg7 38.Qe7+ Kg8 39.Qe8 1/2-1/2

9.Qe4 gives Black an effortless plus with an easy draw, or, if Black is ambitious, he can try to win an endgame of Bishop and Knight versus Rook and pawn.

If White doesn't regain material how does he make progress?

Long analysis, wrong analysis. Also equality doesn't mean the position cannot be won.